Anqing Shu Mats

Anqing Shu Mats

　　Bamboo mats from Qianshan County (formerly known as Shuzhou) are a traditional product, with both men and women, young and old, in the southern foothills of Tianzhu Mountain skilled in weaving. They were renowned throughout the Jianghuai region during the Ming Dynasty and exported to Southeast Asia by the late Qing Dynasty. Today, there are more varieties and the craftsmanship is even more refined. The mats have evolved from bed mats and pillow mats to wall hangings, wall coverings, and tatami mats, with a large volume being exported.

Shu mats use exquisite materials and are exquisitely crafted. Coarse mats are woven from speckled bamboo and moso bamboo; fine mats can only be made from water bamboo. After undergoing 6–8 processes including splitting, stretching, scraping, boiling, weaving, and finishing, they become soft, delicate, and resistant to creasing or damage. The poet Li He once praised bamboo mats (mats) in his verse: "Slightly aware of the coolness of the bamboo mat," and "Woven to support the fragrance of the Han." Bai Juyi also praised them in his poetry: "Even as the sun is high, I still draw the water-window shade, the pillow and mat bring coolness on an August day." (Anqing)